Urgent Typologies

PROTO/LOGICS is a blog documenting the work and thought of a graduate design studio at the Washington University in St. Louis Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design, led by Stephen Mueller (AGENCY).

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Category Archives: 1.1 Mining the Landscape

In order to resist the insertion of TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline, environmentalist and activists have been rallying across the United States. Recently, Bill McKibben led a protest outside of the White House which demanded the stop to the extraction of

In order to resist the insertion of TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline, environmentalist and activists have been rallying across the United States. Recently, Bill McKibben led a protest outside of the White House which demanded the stop to the extraction of

While extensive coverage of the Keystone Pipeline continuously pulses through the media, there are hidden “players” and issues that seem to be overlooked. Although TransCanada thrives onward by promising people permanent well paid jobs, their claims seem to have little

While extensive coverage of the Keystone Pipeline continuously pulses through the media, there are hidden “players” and issues that seem to be overlooked. Although TransCanada thrives onward by promising people permanent well paid jobs, their claims seem to have little

Almost all of the of the Keystone XL is buried four feet underground, with a meticulous process to replace the land exactly the same as it was before. This means that the pipeline is invisible to those passing by it.

Almost all of the of the Keystone XL is buried four feet underground, with a meticulous process to replace the land exactly the same as it was before. This means that the pipeline is invisible to those passing by it.

People benefit from oil although it can contaminate the ecological system. The Keystone XL pipeline is threatening the balance of environment for its risk of oil leak. The chance of oil leak differs by the distinct conditions of landscape, geological

People benefit from oil although it can contaminate the ecological system. The Keystone XL pipeline is threatening the balance of environment for its risk of oil leak. The chance of oil leak differs by the distinct conditions of landscape, geological

Beneath the vast plains of the American midwest landscape, lies the 1179 miles long Keystone pipeline that transports crude oil from Alberta, Canada to Houston, Texas. Under the seemingly undisturbed farmland, without a moment of rest, the oil travels at

Beneath the vast plains of the American midwest landscape, lies the 1179 miles long Keystone pipeline that transports crude oil from Alberta, Canada to Houston, Texas. Under the seemingly undisturbed farmland, without a moment of rest, the oil travels at

While there are many issues concerning the safety and protection of the pipeline, one of the issues that often does not receive much attention is that of subsidence. Subsidence is a byproduct of heavy underground resource extraction. When these extracted

While there are many issues concerning the safety and protection of the pipeline, one of the issues that often does not receive much attention is that of subsidence. Subsidence is a byproduct of heavy underground resource extraction. When these extracted

The tumbleweed is a machine deployed onto the farms of North Dakota to resist the visual hegemony of the oil rigs that are currently interrupting the once open plains of the prairie. By day it moves across the fields, reaching

The tumbleweed is a machine deployed onto the farms of North Dakota to resist the visual hegemony of the oil rigs that are currently interrupting the once open plains of the prairie. By day it moves across the fields, reaching

In the not-too-distant future, decades past the point of peak oil, construction booms fueled by fossil-fuels have declined, leaving abandoned construction equipment, tower cranes and bulldozers to rust and oil-pipe infrastructure no-longer maintained. Out of this broken landscape come the

In the not-too-distant future, decades past the point of peak oil, construction booms fueled by fossil-fuels have declined, leaving abandoned construction equipment, tower cranes and bulldozers to rust and oil-pipe infrastructure no-longer maintained. Out of this broken landscape come the

The aim of this project is to create a permanent mark on the land where the pipeline experiences “leaks and incidents”. The project creates mobile response units that can be dispatched to spill incidents to assist in the clean up

The aim of this project is to create a permanent mark on the land where the pipeline experiences “leaks and incidents”. The project creates mobile response units that can be dispatched to spill incidents to assist in the clean up